Degrees of Affinity: The war in England is intensifying...

by C. F. Dunn

The next page-turning instalment in the Wars of the Roses saga is here! For fans of Alison Weir, Elizabeth Chadwick, Conn Iggulden and Philippa Gregory.

The country is at peace … but for how long?

1472

England has settled into an uneasy peace. The Lancastrian King Henry VI is dead and Yorkist Edward IV has been restored to the throne.

Edward is supported by his younger brothers, George, Duke of Clarence and Richard, Duke of Gloucester. But the two men could not be more different.

Meanwhile, Isobel Fenton has overcome her enemies and regained her manor of Beaumancote. Now she looks forward to a future with the man she loves and their child.

But when they are unwittingly drawn into the political intrigue at Court, Isobel and Robert’s lives are once more thrown into turmoil.

And when Robert must leave to protect his mother, Isobel finds herself facing a new foe.

Can the King’s brothers work together for the good of the country? Or will ambition usurp loyalty?

And will Isobel and Robert survive the odds and reclaim the love and life they desire?

DEGREES OF AFFINITY is the third book in THE TARNISHED CROWN Wars of the Roses historical fiction set in Medieval Europe.

‘Dunn’s world is utterly believable, the research meticulous, the characters deep and rich, and the sights and smells disguise the devastation that lurks at every turn.’ – Matthew Lewis, author of Medieval Britain in 100 Facts

‘an intense and compelling mix of power, passion, and politics’ – Andrew J Chamberlain, author of The Centauri Survivors

THE TARNISHED CROWN
Book Wheel of Fortune
Book Sun Ascendent
Book Degrees of Affinity
Book Legacy of Steel

Genres: Historical Fiction

514 pages, Paperback

Published October 17, 2025

Reviews

[Anne-Mammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saying that I enjoyed this book is perhaps not the right word as many passages, particularly those in Africa are very harrowing, but I found it very interesting and worthwhile. As in the previous books in this series, the combination of the war of the roses, the Sons of York and the fictional Fenton/Langton affinity works very well. How could one not feel for Isobel valiantly trying to protect her interests and her children? The period feel is very good and the greedy, political machinations are only too believable.
As a Ricardian, I was happy to see the depiction of the Duke of Gloucester, but less sure about his wife Anne. I had always understood that they were a love match. Here she is shown as a rather bland, somewhat empty-headed person. Likewise, their son Edward does not yet show any signs of being, the weak, sickly boy that, by all accounts, he was.
The chapters concerning the fate of Robert as a slave are difficult to read, but more importantly, leave gaps in the narrative: how did Robert and Philip Taylor survive drowning? What happens to Dodzi and Adil?
Also not very convincing is Dodzi's, Robert's African friend and saviour's command of English. Sometimes, he can only manage two or three words, other times he is able to fully understand and speak fluently. I realise it must have been a challenge for the author as too much "pidgin English" might have become tedious for the reader, but maybe a phrase indicating he had made much progress over the weeks , might have solved the problem.
Still these are only minor quibbles and they do not detract from the fact that it is a very readable, captivating historical novel which I warmly encourage people to read. I eagerly await the final instalment .

[Jenny Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

England: 1472. Isobel Fenton (now Lady Langton) has been introduced to Isabel Neville, now the Duchess of Clarence whose husband George is brother to Edward IV. Life at court is full of whispers and potential treachery and she must observe and listen where she can. However, when her husband, Robert, is obliged to sail to Portugal to check on the family lands overseen by his mother, his wife is left pregnant and bereft.

Isobel finds her freedom curtailed under the banner of 'protection' as the Duke sees an opportunity to procure her lands for himself. His wife ails mysteriously and Isobel is increasingly isolated and trapped. Why does Robert not come home? Missing, presumed dead, she faces the uncomfortable reality and necessity of taking a new husband to protect herself, her children and her inheritance.

Earl Robert has his own adventure in Africa where shipwreck has taken him into a world of trafficking and slavery. Coming home may not be an option, trapped by a cruel master who has an agenda of his own and no sympathy for infidels and slaves.

I'm so glad that there will be a fourth instalment of this story. Dividing the action into separate storylines is ambitious but works well to keep the dramatic tension at a suitable level. It was confusing for a while to have both Isobel and Isabel and I had to reread a couple of paragraphs when I was disoriented. Dunn keeps the reader engaged and widens our understanding of contemporary life, particularly the vulnerability of women in fifteenth century England. Only six months until 'Legacy of Steel' is available.

[Carol Beckman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow moving first half

I honestly struggled to read the first half of this book as it kept sending me to sleep. It was pleasant but slow moving. Things got more interesting in the second part and Robert becomes a real hero while the realities of women in mediaeval times as well as the unspeakable cruelty of slavery come to the fore.
Richard of Gloucester, ie Richard III, is depicted as a gentle, honest and fair man, as he is in many novels about this period, but this jars with what happens later in his life when he appears to have become a cruel usurper.

[Pauline Calkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s 1472, the Yorkists have won the day and Edward IV is back on the throne. And Isobel Fenton has married her love Robert Langton, now Earl. But no one lives happily ever after—George, Duke of Clarence makes sure of that. Prompted by George’s scheme to fight against Barbary pirates, Robert goes off to Portugal to protect his family estates and ends up as a slave in Morocco. Everyone in England believes Robert is dead, and Clarence sees his chance to take control of his and Isobel’s estates. Clarence makes her a prisoner, and her attempts to escape from the duke’s clutches alternate with Robert’s escape attempts. The depictions of Robert’s life as a slave and his escape are truly harrowing on both a mental and physical level. Isobel’s imprisonment also has long lasting effects on her mental stability—continuing fear, uncertainty, and inability to trust even the people she has the most reason to trust, such as the Duke of Gloucester. Of course, she does have reason to fear because she knows the truth about the death of Isabel, Duchess of Clarence. Both will have to deal with serious PTSD in the next novel

This is a well written book, with the relationship between Robert and Isobel’s believable. Robert exerts his authority as head of the household, while Isobel is independent-minded, but sometimes clearly in the wrong. Overall, I found the novel less compelling than the previous two in the series. Maybe the era was not all that exciting to me , and there was a lot of court intrigue. One thing I didn’t care for was the depiction of Anne Neville as a sweet airhead. (Hey, it could be what she really was, but I didn’t care for it, nor Richard’s attitude toward her. “ And, in the empty hours before dawn, he would wonder whether all the lands and manors and comfort he had gained were worth the marriage he had made.”